This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

Make America sane again, Jon Stewart: Menon

The best political speech this week tumbled from the lips of Jon Stewart.

If absence makes the heart grow fonder, millions of viewers felt palpitations of joy when that familiar face peeked out Thursday night from under Stephen Colbert’s desk on The Late Show.

“So, ah, thanks for stopping by,” said Colbert to rapturous applause from the audience. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“I was actually wondering if I could just maybe talk about the election for a little bit,” replied Stewart.

At that moment, if a thought balloon magically appeared over the heads of 50 per cent of all North Americans, it would have read: “Yes, please.”

Article Continued Below

Yes, Jon. Activate your mic, stare into Camera 1 and tell us what you think. What do you make of this surreal spectacle? Since abandoning your post on The Daily Show, you’ve been greatly missed. During wacky political times — and no election has been wackier than this one — your comedic insights are a balm for the soul.

Jon Stewart reunited with Stephen Colbert on The Late Show and reminded viewers why he is missed so dearly during this U.S. election. (CBS/YouTube)

Colbert yielded his chair with a knowing grin, slipped a black blazer and clip-on tie over Stewart’s grey T-shirt and then vanished under his own desk.

“Well, the convention is over,” said Stewart. “I thought Donald Trump was going to speak. Ivanka said that he was going to come out. She said that he was really compassionate and generous. But then this angry groundhog came out and he just vomited on everybody for an hour.”

The crowd thundered and viewers at home were transported back to the previous four U.S. elections when Stewart was the most influential comedian in late night.

“But the Republicans appear to have a very clear plan for America,” he continued. “They articulated it throughout the convention. One, jail your political opponent. Two, inject Rudy Giuliani with a speedball-and-Red Bull enema. And then three, spend the rest of the time scaring the holy bejesus out of everybody.”

Stewart eviscerated the talking heads in the right-wing media, especially Fox News blowhard Sean Hannity, whom he referred to as “Lumpy.” With the aid of Daily Show-style clips, Stewart dissected “the contortions that many conservatives will now have to do to embrace Donald J. Trump.”

Then he put Trump supporters in the bombsights.

“This country isn’t yours,” Stewart yelled, punctuating his staccato delivery with a jabbing finger. “You don’t own it. It never was. There is no real America. You don’t own it. You don’t own patriotism. You don’t own Christianity. You sure as hell don’t own respect for the bravery and sacrifice of military, police and firefighters.

“Trust me. I saw a lot of people on the convention floor in Cleveland with their Blue Lives Matter rhetoric who either remained silent or actively fought against the 9/11 First Responders Bill re-authorization. I see you and I see your bullshit. I see it.”

This was great TV, which is why it should not end.

Stewart is developing a new show for HBO and enjoying his time with family. He’s rescuing animals and experimenting with beard clippers and walking around looking like a middle-aged inventory manager at Old Navy.

But according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, our beloved neighbours to the south have several responsibilities, including “participate in the democratic process” and “defend the country if the need should arise.”

Put those two together in the aftermath of the bizarre RNC and I’d argue it’s actually Stewart’s civic duty to return to TV immediately. He needs to participate and help defend his country before it is destroyed from within. He needs to make the world laugh through the tears of Indecision 2016.

While other TV hosts, including Daily Show alumni John Oliver and Samantha Bee, have done an admirable job documenting the Trumpocalypse, Stewart’s brief return to the airwaves was a stark reminder that he still has no equal in the sardonic trenches. No one else can skewer political and cultural hypocrisy with the same affable charm. No one else is as gifted at delivering bruising insights and righteous indignation with flawless comedic timing. No one else turns policy smarts into grenade punchlines that blow up so perfectly.

Colbert and The Late Show, which is struggling with ratings and rumours of an impending shake-up, should beg Stewart to do a weekly soliloquy until the election is over. Or maybe Stewart can go from show to show like a monologue vagabond.

Or maybe he can become a regular guest on the cable news channels. Or record commentary at his New Jersey farm and upload it to YouTube.

How he gets back does not matter. All that matters is that he gets back now.

The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5E 1E6. You can unsubscribe at any time. Please contact us or see our privacy policy for more information.

More from the Toronto Star & Partners

LOADING

Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com